Reading Annotation Check-in (5-10 min)
I usually do not require that students turn in Reading Annotations to me for the entire term. I usually suspend it and replace the requirement with something else–my main reason for assigning them as I do up front is because I want to instill good habits in you for reading at the college level. The methods I offer you–the DFH and DEJ–are supported by research regarding retention and comprehension.
I trust that you will keep up doing these in some fashion, however you are most comfortable. But I will no longer check to see that you are doing it.
That said, I do want to keep in touch with how you are thinking and reacting to the reading. So, I want to spend some time offering up what past classes have done instead as well as open up discussion on what the requirement will be going forward.
Here are some things previous classes have done:
- Kept doing Reading Annotations, as is, only they had option to submit something OTHER than DFH or DEJ–e.g., Cornell Notetaking Method.
- Brought in questions they had based on the reading and we used those as discussion questions for class
- Selected a certain number of annotations they made to share with class (usually had people pair off at beginning to talk about why their annotation stood out to them).
In some ways this is “more” work if you still keep up with your annotations. However, this method can help you not go 110% in your annotations since you feel like you are being graded for them.
Does anyone else have ideas for an alternative to the Reading Annotation assignment going forward?
In Learning Module 4 (should have it to you by end of tomorrow), I’ll also have you fill out a survey about how the course is going in general and whether we should change anything. I’ll look over results next week and then we will talk about some possible changes on next Thursday (October 8).
Writing Sessions and Peer Response (10-15 min)
Themes I noticed:
-Looking over feedback and notes you had on your draft
-Feeling “lazy”–that word “lazy” came up a lot. What does that mean in respect to writing? Why do you feel that way do you think?
-Having a target.
-Sometimes vague goals (e.g., “work on my paper”)
-place/space issues
How did these go? How is writing going for you here for this class and elsewhere? What are the successes? What are the struggles?
Do we need more structure for Writing Groups and Peer Response? I should have reports from Group Historians soon, but, in general, I hope these help get more work in on your writing
Rhetorical Analysis and Lenses (15-20 min)
There are lots of options!:
- Ethos/Pathos/Logos
- Audience
- Purpose
- Genre
- Media
- Constraints
- Exigence
- Kairos
- Gender
- Queer theory
- Critical race theory
- Intersectionality
- Marxist theory
- Postcolonial theory
- Disability studies
- Ecocriticism
- Posthumanism
- Psychoanalysis
Each of these lenses have more information on them in “Tools for Analysis” chapter that was due for Tuesday (9/22).
I just wanted to take a moment to underscore the following:
Using one of these lenses or a combination of them can help focus your analysis in ways that can be helpful. There are SO MANY things you could possibly talk about when analyzing a text, so lenses help focus us to make a meaningful analysis.
Now, not any one of these lenses can work for every single text very easily or usefully. BUT, there is a lens here in this list for every text.
However, for example: Most texts have audiences, many texts make assumptions about gender that can be useful to analyze, most texts are affected by the sort of media they are composed for, many texts can be situated in contexts of colonialism, race, larger environmental concerns, and so on.
A final note: a rhetorical analysis or criticism of any kind is never to be thought of as “well, the maker of this object should DO IT THIS WAY INSTEAD.” It can be that. But, really, the heart of criticism is to notice things and comment on them. There can be a piece of art that works really well as is, but it still is always worth it to point out aspects of it that are notable to highlight.
Tristen Chau Rhetorical Analysis
We will talk more about this piece in the future as you get deeper into your rhetorical analysis assignment, but, for now, I wanted to talk through this question:
which lens or lenses do you think would be accurate for what Chau took on? Why do you think that? Can you point to 1-2 examples that support your claim?
Open up the reading now, review some annotations, and take a moment to think about this. Then we will come back and talk about it (we might have time for breakout rooms on this, will decide depending on time!).
Rhetorical Analysis and Question for Second Reading 3 (10 min)
Did you get my feedback on your Rhetorical Analysis Proposals in Slack?
Let’s spend a little time going over the prompt for QSR3, due for next class (10/6).
This assignment should be able to help you get started in thinking about the structure of your Rhetorical Analysis if you haven’t started thinking about that yet.
Next Time (2-5 min)
-Submit QSR3 by 3pm on Tuesday, 10/6 by posting on our website.
-Complete Learning Module 4 by 5pm on Tuesday, 10/6.